GROG in the snow

There hasn't been a GROG (Gloucestershire Retro Oldhammer Gamers) winter game for some years now. Even the Halloween game that was our most regular has been paused for a bit. Hopefully life for all members is a bit more settled now and we can get back to some good ol' quarterly wargaming!

This February's game (it's always half term week for the winter game as Christmas is so busy) was a cross-country skiing challenge Alpine Dwarf style. Harry introduces the game-

According to Dwarven History, the Alpine Dwarf challenge is rooted in the skiing traditions of the Norse Dwarves.

Early inhabitants revered the God Ullr as both the god of skiing and the hunting god. Historical research suggests that Ullr was a very ancient god, with ties to magic.

The Alpine Dwarves compete every year for this title and the honour of wearing these runes on their uniforms.

The activity that developed into this annual contest were initially training exercises for the Norse Dwarf Alpine Rangers as an alternative training to the regular Dwarven army. Norse Dwarf skiing regiments organized training into: shooting (Standing and prone), shooting at mark while skiing at top speed, downhill race among trees without falling! … and a long race on flat ground while carrying rifle and military pack. They also train in rock and ice climbing.

More recently the Alpine Rangers have been training with ice skates. Ice skates were first developed by Finn Mcswift  from shank or rib bones of elk, oxen, reindeer to make traveling in icy winter conditions easier and faster when hunting around the northern lakes. 

Many years ago during a particularly harsh winter the Goblins raided the dwarf Kings court and stole the Christmas presents. The rangers went after them and recovered most of the presents and saved Christmas. To celebrate this event the King came up with an annual challenge for the rangers to compete for the highest honour given to a ranger.

The challenge consists of a ‘race’ in which the best Alpine rangers are chosen each year to compete against each other. They set out from the Kings court and find as many presents as they can and return them to the king in the fastest time possible. They ski a cross-country trail divided into four sections with shooting rounds. Depending on the shooting performance, extra time is added to the contestant's total skiing time. The best shots get to head out on the next stage first and then they are followed by the rest after they have spent their time penalties based on their shooting performance. They gain time bonuses for each present they return with. The Ranger with the shortest total time wins.

For each shooting round, the Ranger must hit five targets or receive a penalty for each missed target. (They must miss a turn for each missed shot).

So, they Ski the first part of the course, then, on reaching the first check point the shoot at prepared targets. They then head out on the next stage at intervals based on their shooting… and shoot again upon reaching the next checkpoint. During the next stage they shoot on the move without stopping before reaching the final checkpoint for the last shoot before the climb back up to the king's Mountain. 

The King proclaims the great race on!

Beardy ones line up at the starting line... to place their dwarfs!

After a first round of target shooting they're off down the slope, with barely a turn between them.

Until Mike uses some crafty dynamite to bury everybody whilst the steep slope offers some serious speed for him to grab a head start.

A slight detour over the meltwater rapids yields a hidden present.

At the bottom of the slope the first river section must be jumped... or crossed with the help of a lumberjack and handy pine tree.

Once across the first checkpoint is reached for another round of shooting.

Whilst they wait to hit the target a sabretooth tiger lopes out of the crags to see what all the noise is about. Mike's up in that cleft because he somewhat misjudged a ski jump, but at least he's the other side from the tiger!

Meanwhile, up the back, a yeti breaks cover. He's mad at being disturbed by the explosion! Too slow for those pesky skiers, he will nevertheless hang around for their return!

Father Christmas gifts some new toys whilst the mountaineer helps them to the top of the next slope and the marshal makes sure there's fair play. The sabretooths keep on coming...

For those with skates the frozen lake offers a fast route around the mountain.

Up top there are presents galore waiting. Enough to tempt the dwarfs into yeti country where the abominable snowmen are waiting.

Chris takes a fast run down the steep slope and barely manages to avoid flying striaght off the edge of the table.

Paul picks up presents galore as he takes to the rails.

Luckily they're just close enough together for his skis to slide over the rickety bridge.

Heading off on the third stage of the course past the trading post, Mike comes face to face with a lurking sabretooth and completely fails to hit it with his blunderbuss.

The race up the final slope begins. Thanks to a long run up and some good shooting I was out in front, but a lack of snowshoes left me trudging painfully slowly up the incline. Would the sabretooth and yeti hold off the others long enough?

No. Falling easily to blunderbuss fire the last obstacles were out of the way and those with snowshoes and cramp-ons made it up both the snowy rise and the icy cliffs.

A mad dash for the finish across the last stretch, a tight finish once points for shooting in the last stage were added in.

Sadly bringing up the rear dwarfy-me decided to open the present he'd carted all the way around, hoping it wasn't the snow shoes that would have given him the edge. It wasn't. A collapsible wheelbarrow would have made no difference at all. At least it gives him something to ride home it.

Thanks to Harry for hosting (and freeing up my studio of the big snowy boards!), to all the GROGgers near and far who joined in and to Jamie Loft at Old School Miniatures who got John Pickford to sculpt a full set of Alpine Dwarfs! Go get yourself some right now.

GROG in the snow

Terror of the Liche... CATmaster



A few weeks ago GROG had our annual Christmas game. This year I asked to play through the WFB2 Terror of the Lichemaster scenario as I built terrain for it last year and also painted undead forces for Deadcember 2016. Plus, of course, the scenario itself is bound in one of my collected volumes.

 

I made a few changes to the scenario to incorporate bits from the WFRP Lichemaster book, upscale the battles for my big terrain board and allow four players and a GM. My plan was to fight the two initial battles simultaneously as two 1-on-1 fights on 4x4' boards. Then push the terrain together into an 8x4' for a 2-player-per-side climactic fight. In the event we only had one player per side but it was still a lot of fun and we did get through most of it.

 



Harry's cats got in on the action. Testing the 'ice' on the glacial lake!

Apologies for the poor photos. I forgot my camera and only got a few phone snaps of the final battle for Frugelhofen. I think Harry and Mike got some better shots of the preliminaries.

At Gimbrin's Mine the Blue Blooded Bandits of Adolphus Zwemmer, lead by Alberto Taglielli, had a protracted engagement with the dwarves. Despite very poor shooting by the stunties they whittled the undead down (and were themselves whittled) until it was Taglielli versus Gimbrin Finehelm in one-on-one combat. Taglielli won and the dead dwarves were subsequently raised to the Lichemaster's cause and their zombie selves joined the attack on Frugelhofen. The Bogels were more successful in escaping, and Krell's undead contingent (lead by Mikael Jacsen) crumbled to dust when their champion was slain. The family were able to make it to the village and sound the alarm, missing only their dear dog Fritzy who paid dearly for his attraction to old bones.

Krell's undead sweep around the mill and try to enter Frugelhofen by the bridge. Riolta Snow (and her fawning hanger-on) does a grand job of holding it against the invaders. She is eventually slain but not before sending Krell himself back to the other side.

Her place is taken by Albi Schultz, sadly caught without his magic items.

Kemler manages to raise a handful of the slain skeletons to rejoin the queue at the bridge. His fireballs, however, prove damp squibs. Perhaps the snow has made everything too wet? The anarchist's bomb similarly fails to have any great effect, merely playing skittles with a couple of skeletons.

Meanwhile Zwemmer's bandits have made it around the east of the village and are crossing at the river narrow. Hector Brioche, the closest Frugelhofen has to a leader, and Alain Gascoigne, former soldier, lead a detachment of villagers to defend the crossing.

They are pushed back and the towering figure of Zwemmer enters the village streets.

The dwarf zombies take a dive into the raging Vasswasser and are swept downstream to the ford. After extracting themselves from the icy torrent they march into Frugelhofen from the south.

 

Zwemmer and his forces are finally destroyed after Hector rallies his peasant contingent. Leaving Albi and Hunk Bogel to make a brave last stand on the bridge he leads the surviving peasants on a retreat from the village. Frugelhofen is abandoned to the grip of the Lichemaster. Will the peasants find a hideout in the mountains until the pass clears in the spring? Will Kemler hunt them down and reanimate them for his army? Only time will tell.

ADDITIONAL:
Photos from Harry-

Gimbrin's Mine

The Blue Blooded Bandits prepare for their assault

Skirmish at Bogel's Farm

Terror of the Liche... CATmaster